By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
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“There is no better way to put it; the Peaster Greyhounds are coming off of the greatest season in program history.” That is the exact sentence I used to open the 2025 season. It rings even more true this time around after a run that included a regional title and one win short of playing at AT&T Stadium.
However, there are a few major differences from last year’s Greyhound squad compared to this year’s. First off, the senior class that just graduated was extremely talented, and in many ways was the foundation for this very young program. Their loss will be heavily felt, especially early on in the season. Secondly, forget the road to Arlington, the road through Region I got a lot tougher when the UIL threw a nasty curveball. Not only is reigning champion Wall now just one district over, but fellow semifinalist Llano is also in the way. Add on to that the Paradise Panthers still looming, and suddenly this is one of the toughest regions in the state of Texas. And finally, the sudden and shocking move of arguably the best returning starter that Peaster had leaves several question marks surrounding this team.
Head coach Trevor Owens enters his fourth season in Parker County, and the question marks are not lost on him. “We may take some lumps early on getting some skill kids ready to go,” he told GM Sports Media. “Hopefully we’ve got them settled in by Paradise…”
Over the offseason, the Greyhounds faced the unfortunate situation of Hudson Salyers moving away due to his father taking a job in Marble Falls. We wish him all the best. However, this left a big hole for Owens to fill. Peaster now turns to senior Slayte Robertson to step up and lead this team. The good news is, he is fully capable of taking this team over. Especially on defense where he will be a solid leader after recording 93 tackles, 21 TFL’s and 7 sacks as a junior linebacker. He also accounted for 262 yards on 22 catches and 2 touchdowns at tight end.
He will have some solid company as Walker Lacy is also back at linebacker and at tailback. Though he will have to adjust more on the offensive side, Lacy had a solid junior season on defense with 123 tackles, 2 TFL’s and 2 interceptions. Layton Kennedy is also a good skill player to keep eyes on. After transitioning from quarterback as a freshman, Kennedy has settled into his role at safety, and he will be looked upon to double as a wide receiver. He accounted for 22 tackles, 1 TFL and an interception in his junior season. Aside from those four, the Greyhounds will have a very young group of skill players coming up. However, that is the case with any program. Look for sophomore Braxtyn Frazier to step up and see some solid time at receiver and defensive back.
Though, the strength for Peaster in 2026 will come from the trenches. Chase Aleksick is back for his senior season on both sides. He especially thrived on the defensive side of the ball, totaling 44 tackles, 10 TFL’s and 5 sacks. He will be joined defensively by Christian Ferrara at the end position. Ferrara earned 2nd team All-District honors as a junior a year ago. He will also see some time at tight end as needed for the offense. Rounding out the offensive line along with Aleksick will be Leilen Smith, Ryan McCullough, and Cage Droke who all return from last year’s semifinal run.
Schedule & Analysis
at Pilot Point
at Lake Dallas
vs Jacksboro
vs Tuscola Jim Ned
at Graham
at Hillsboro
vs Bowie
at Boyd
vs Paradise
at Vernon
Floor: 5-5, 3-seed
The non-district schedule starts out with a pair of good tune ups for this Greyhound squad, despite punching up to play Lake Dallas. Pilot Point is still in a rebuilding mode under Chad Worrell, and Lake Dallas got hit hard by graduation after a less than stellar year. However, turning around and having to face Jacksboro, Jim Ned and Graham in the following three weeks could expose some issues with this team. Hillsboro should be a nice bounce back before entering district play, where Paradise looms, as well as a Vernon team that has its eye on revenge, while bringing back more than half of its starters. If this team takes a while to get going, it may get caught in a bad situation before it can right itself.
Ceiling: 10-0, District Champions
I am going to be blunt. In a county that includes Aledo and Brock, winning is expected. Especially after a season in which you find yourself in the semifinals. Despite the graduation losses, Peaster is going to be under the microscope this season. However, what defines great programs is the ability to reload rather than rebuild. The ceiling is nothing less than the top for Peaster this year. If Owens and his players can come together and work out the kinks early, it is not out of the question that they can put together a very solid run. I look at the 1997 Aledo team that fell in the semis before winning it all in 1998, despite the ‘97 team arguably being much better. This is not a scenario that is unheard of.
Nolan’s Prediction: 7-3, 2-seed
Last year, I missed badly by projecting Peaster to fall to Jacksboro. That was more of me overselling Jacksboro and less underselling the Greyhounds. However, this is not the same Peaster team, and Jacksboro looks as good as ever, returning 8 starters on each side from a playoff squad. Then having to play Graham on the road is a very daunting task, ask Brock. Two years ago the Eagles were shut out in a district game at Newton Field before claiming revenge in the playoffs. Finally, the great white whale of this district, the Paradise Panthers. While last year’s regional final game was a big milestone for Peaster, I do not believe it was the stepping stone for Peaster to become “big brother” to the rivals from Wise County. With 7 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense, this is Paradise’s district to lose. I see this as the only district slip up before the postseason
